A pioneering Scottish start-up, Daring Foods has joined forces with Scotland’s largest foodservice provider, Brakes, to make it easier than ever before for the country’s consumers to enjoy plant-based meals.
Brakes Scotland is the first foodservice provider to take on the full Daring range, which includes meat alternatives ranging from mince to nuggets to burgers. Among those who have answered demand from their customers are the Fairmont St Andrews Bay Hotel and Tony Macaroni’s restaurants across Scotland.
Brakes claim that 2019 has already shown a 300% year-on-year rise in demand for meat alternatives, as consumers increasingly choose to consciously eat less meat.
The range, from CEO and Founder Ross Mackay (pictured right, with business partner Eliott Kessas), is powered by real whole food ingredients and packed with powerful plant protein.
As well as being dairy and egg free, the products contain no palm oil, genetically modified organisms, hormones or antibiotics.
The range of red meat, chicken and fish alternatives are composed of a few simple ingredients, namely wheat protein, potato protein and a variety of spices.
Daring Foods will now have their products made available to all 8,900 Brakes customers, which includes hotels, schools, coffee shops, pubs and restaurants.
By 2020, it’s anticipated Daring Foods will have supplied the equivalent of 10% of the UK population with plant-based food options, in-turn driving a further boom of the UK plant-based food market.
John McLintock, Operations Director for Brakes Scotland, said, 'Daring Foods will be an exciting addition to our range. Vegan and plant-based products are on the rise, and we want to continually offer our customers innovative products that meet current market trends. Daring Foods' products will hit all mealtimes and will have extremely broad appeal.
“This is the largest vegan range we have listed from one supplier. With the expertise of Daring Foods available in terms of training and their unique point of sale and branding, this will help caterers who are struggling to find a fantastic vegan offering. Feedback at our recent Supplier Showcase was fantastic and we look forward to working with Daring to grow demand.”
Mackay added, “This is just the beginning. The response to our products has been phenomenal – even the most militant meat-eaters struggle to tell the difference. Plant-based options aren’t just for alternative cafes anymore. They are for everyone and this distribution deal proves this.
“We are pleased to work with Brakes Scotland and our other partners to distribute our products across Scotland. The more people who try our food, the easier it will be to dispel myths and challenge norms. Plant-based eating isn’t going away, and neither are we.”
The brand launched after a year of extensive research and development, and significant personal investment. It secured its first distribution deal with Lomond Fine Foods in January.
